Saturday, November 20, 2004

thehotel at mandalay bay

we went to vegas to visit folk, not really to visit vegas, but since we're here, we might as well make the best of it. señor amor says the motor lodge at circus circus is the way to go, but i'm with my mother, so perhaps not this time around. i admit a preference for the hard rock hotel, because even though it's showing its age and the lobby is filled with drinking frat packs, the casino is tiny and completely avoidable, the rooms are pretty big, comfortable, and non-vegas-y, and it's the only casino'd hotel where you can actually open the windows (in this case, french doors). i guess suicide is not considered an option at the hard rock. i also have a great fondness for the pool, which looks like a beach and has speakers underwater. i once swam there when it was 65˚F outside and raining, and since i was the only one in there, the music was completely subdued and actually fantastic-- imagine swimming alone in a misty lagoon to roxy music, nick drake, and peggy lee.

this time around i decided to stay at thehotel at mandalay bay. not mandalay bay at mandalay bay, not the four seasons at mandalay bay, but thehotel at mandalay bay. one word. and 'the' inhouse brand, apparently, as everything in thehotel is 'the'something--thelobby, thecoffeebar, thelounge, even theeffing thetoilet paper and thedoodlepad on thedesk.

thehotel is in a separate building from the rest of mandalay bay, and all the rooms are suites, the standard size being 750 sq.feet--mondo huge for here. as you can see from the photos so far, it's not like being in las vegas, but more like a new york boutique hotel--lots of dark woods, sleek lines, subdued colour palettes, modern art, and most importantly to us, no casino and no smoking in a good portion of the hotel. there isn't a pool, but there is a two story spa and gym, and you have access to the pools at the mandalay bay site.

each of the suites has a separate living room (pictured above), which has a wet bar, a comfy sofa suite, a 42" plasma tv with wireless internet access, dvd, high-speed modem internet access, a fax/copier/printer, and a powder room with toilet, away from the main bathroom.

(no, you cheeky observant ones, there isn't a difference of night and day from living room to bedroom--i took bed photos in the morning.)

the bedroom either has a king-sized or two queen-sized beds, another flat-screen tv, a cd and radio, frette bathrobes and slippers, and down (or down-like) covers.

the bathroom has a separate room for the toilet, double vanities, a glass-enclosed shower, and a tub with a waterfall fixture.

and yet another flat-screen tv. do *not* drop the remote for the tv in the bath. trust me on this one. bath amenities galore, including cottonballs and cotton swabs. i love complimentary q-tips.

the rooms are so comfortable, you don't want to leave. fine for us as we're not big gamblers (first night take: $2.75 from a 25¢ investment), the mandalay's on the quiet side of the strip, and my mom's not up for a trek just yet. even though thehotel is one of the hotels at the moment, the crowd is nicely varied--lots of seniors, typical tourists, and businessmen, so the snob factor is kept at bay. everyone in the staff is very nice and very helpful. i booked online through their site and i received the off-peak rate at $89, which i think is extraordinarily reasonable considering the amenities, but i imagine you can get a better rate from a discount hotel site. well worth it, i say.

5 comments:

aaaaaahhh the only hotel in Vegas that doesn't reek of cigarettes! (bliss!) even in the lobby!!! Vegas is my least favorite places for business trips, and I'm usually there for geeky conventions. I remember having to deliver some presentation materials to a different division staying at Mandalay Bay and what a surprise!! (My division stays at the Bellagio, but my co-worker and I managed to stay across the street at Paris, Las Vegas)

I will definitely try Mandalay Bay next time and ignore the lure of Lenotre in Paris!

Swish hotel. We stayed at the Mikado or the Midori or something, all I can remember is that the bathroom counter reminded me of melted gold and mint chocolate chip ice-cream. The town was tops though. My friends in LA were stunned we were going for as long as three days. $1 beers, Johnny Cash live, fed grapes by Belly dancer type woman, Liberace Museum, dollar(s) won and lost, donuts and waffles for breakfast buffet, sister's wedding, rental Lincoln Town car... can't believe I'm not still there.

oh, definitely try to stay here. your sinuses will love you for it. the casinos in vegas pump out noxious fragrances in the casinos in an attempt to poison the guests or hide cigarette smells or something, so i always get completely gassed in casinos and must flee for my life. however much i love lenotre (although i sadly missed my pilgrimage this time around--too busy splashing in the giant tub/watching sharkvision on the 42" plasma/sleeping under the down covers), i'd rather visit than stay there!

hey anthony

for vegas, 65˚F is practically winter. i could easily spend a week here. i hated it when i first went, but i'm finding more and more quirkiness worth exploring. have you posted a photo from your sister's wedding? i have a vision of her (brown shoulder length hair?) in a wedding dress with betrothed in the back of a limo. that could have been a hallucination or maybe something i did last night.

I was here several months ago, but sadly didn't stay here (THEhotel). When in Vegas, nothing, in my opinion, compares to the Mandalay Bay. I like how they have that new shopping arcade (Mandalay Place) although there isn't such a good selection of shops.